Islamic Focus

Issue 109 Igniting the Spirit of Islam Jan 2013 Bukhara Publications/Tel: 078 672 7797/Fax: 086 651 2125

Email: islamicfocus@gmail.com/Korsten/Port Elizabeth

and time she had to put into her daily chores, she never forgot the importance of family bonding and priori-tized it in her life. Her up-bringing of her children saw them turn out to be pillars of the Muslim society and pious worshippers of Allah. Fatimah �’s closeness to the Prophet � and the greatness of his love for her shines clearly in his state-ment: ‘Fatimah is a part of me, and he who makes her angry, makes me an-gry.’ [Bukhari] The Muslim woman plays a crucial role in nurturing people to get to paradise as well as trying to get to Paradise herself. She bal-ances the daily demands of life with pleasing Allah. �

Lessons from the two of the greatest women ever. These amazing women are prime examples achieving the bal-ance of serving Allah and doing the daily tasks of this world:

KHADIJAH � Khadijah �, the wife of the Prophet �, was an unri-valled embodiment of faith, productivity and uncondi-tional support. She success-fully managed her father’s business interests but did not waste this wealth on materialistic things. She used to feed and clothe the poor, assist her relatives financially, and provide for the marriage of those of her kin who had no means to marry. She was a caring wife who was the first to be-lieve in and support the Prophet �. Of Khadijah �, the Prophet � said: ‘The best of the

world’s women is Mariam (in her lifetime), and the best of the world’s women is Khadi-j a h ( i n h e r l i f e -time).’ [Bukhari]

FATIMAH � Fatimah �, the daughter of the Prophet �, is also a leg-endary beacon of productiv-ity and balance: a fervent worshipper of Allah who was deeply committed to her family. She was a loyal wife, an excellent daughter as well as a keen helper of the poor and needy. She would often give all the food she had to those in need even if she herself remained hungry. Her life with Ali � was simple and frugal, yet she remained content with this and was still able to help the poor. Additionally, Fatimah � would often bring her two sons to see their grandfather who was exceedingly fond of them. Despite the hard work

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NIGERIA - Army deployed to combat Islamist fight-

ers in the border territories. President declared a

state of emergency in three north-eastern states af-

ter a series of deadly attacks. The Boko Haram

Islamist group has seized control of parts of the

north-east. (BBC, 15 May)

SYRIA - Freedom fighters launched a massive as-

sault on a prison in Aleppo. 80,000 killed in war

against Bashar Assad's Iranian and Hezbollah-

backed Shia soldiers. (BBC, 15 May)

BANGLADESH - Hundreds of thousands evacuated

from areas threatened by Cyclone Mahasen. Tens of

thousands of Rohingya Muslims living in camps in

low-lying areas of Burma's Rakhine state are feared

to be at risk. 50 Rohingya Muslims drowned when

boats evacuating them from the path of the cyclone

capsized off western Burma. (BBC, 15 May)

TUNISIA - 2,000 Tunisian youth are fighting along-

side Islamist fighters in Syria. The spirit of Jihad has

picked up steam in several Arab countries following

the Syria revolution. Most of those who return to

Tunisia are imprisoned for questioning despite them

fighting against a tyrannical regime. Around 5,000

foreign Muslim fighters are aiding Syrian freedom

fighters. (BBC, 15 May)

UK - Cardinal Keith O'Brien, Britain's most senior

Roman Catholic cleric is to leave Scotland for several

months after admitting improper sexual conduct, the

latest in a decades-long sexual abuse by Christian

clergy of kids and others. (BBC, 15 May)

USA - Four Muslims given prison sentences in Min-

nesota in connection with the recruitment of fighters

for Somali Islamist group Al Shabab. (BBC, 14 May)

PALESTINE - International Criminal Court launched

inquiry into an Israeli raid on a Gaza-bound flotilla

which left 9 Turkish activists dead. This follows a

request from the Comoros islands. A UN inquiry in

2011 found the Israeli commandos' actions were

‘excessive and unreasonable’. The ICC investigates

and tries cases of war but does not have jurisdiction

over Israel as it is stands outside any international

treaty advocating just rights. (BBC, 14 May)

NIGERIA - 53 killed and 13 villages burnt in central

Benue state, in a conflict caused by a long-running

dispute over land ownership between cattle herders

and farmers. People from the Fulani community con-

firm raided the rival Agatus after several hundred of

their cattle were stolen. (BBC, 15 May)

BANGLADESH - Walmart, the world's largest re-

tailer, refuses to join an accord with other retailers

to ensure safety for Bangladesh’s garment industry

which supplies cheap clothes to well-known retail

stores. More than 1,100 people died when a gar-

ment building collapsed on 24 April. (BBC, 15 May)

PALESTINE - Jewish PM Netanyahu installed a

$127,000 special bedroom on a plane for a 5 and a

half hour trip to the UK. The expense met with an-

ger in Israel, which is facing austerity measures.

(BBC, 15 May)

TURKEY - Bombs exploded in the town of Reyhanli

on the Syrian border killing 46. Shia agents of the

Assad government planned. (BBC, 15 May) �

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Part 1 of lessons from the hero of Islam and lib-erator of Aqsa, Salahudeen Ayyubi rahimahullah:

Ordinary Man: Salahudeen was no great scholar, warrior or nobleman by birth. He grew up in ‘safe zones’. What he achieved was nurtured through hard work, sincerity and piety throughout his life. Product of Madressa System: He attended the Madressas instituted by his predecessors which nurtured within their students a love for Aqsa and rekindled their spirit of Jihad. Lover of Ulama: Throughout his life, the men that Salahudeen respected the most were the Ulama. Many of his closest confi-dants were Ulama too. Upholding Correct Beliefs: Salahudeen es-tablished Sunni Madressas across Egypt. By the time the Fatimid Shia leader of Egypt was about to pass away, Salahudeen issued a proclamation that Egypt was once again Sunni, after long Shia rule. Generous: Treasurers would not reveal to him the true extent of their revenues, fearing that Salahudeen would spent it all. Salaah with Jamaat: Bahauddin, confidant and biographer of Salahudeen reveals that he never ever missed Salaah in congregation. Even on his deathbed when he could hardly walk, he made arrangements for a Imam to come and lead him in Salaah so that he could still reap the rewards of congregation. �

Adapted from article by Ebrahim Moosa of Cii

Constant. ‘Do not ever stop praying the night prayer (Tahajjud). The Prophet � never ceased praying it. When he was sick or weak, he prayed sitting.’ [Bukhari] Benefits. ‘You should pray the night prayer, for it is the habit of the righteous people who came before you, and it will bring you closer to your Lord, expiate for bad deeds, prevent sin, and expel disease from the body.’ [Tirmidhi] Goodness. The Prophet � said to Mu'adh Ibn Jabal �: ‘May I show you the gates of good-ness?' (they are), a) Fasting is screen from Hell, b) Charity extinguishes sins, as water ex-tinguishes fire, c) Standing in prayer by a slave of Allah during the last third part of a night.’ [Abu Dawood] Best Prayer. ‘The best of prayer after those prescribed (i.e. obligatory prayer) is that in the depth of night.’ [Muslim] Mercy. ‘May Allah have mercy on a man who wakes up at night, prays, and wakes his wife to pray; and if she refuses, he sprinkles water on her face. And may Allah have mercy on a woman who wakes up at night, prays, and wakes her husband to pray; and if he refuses, she sprinkles water on his face.’ [Abu Dawood] Good Deeds. ‘Whoever prays the night prayer reciting 10 verses, he will not be recorded among the negligent. Whoever prays the night prayer reciting 100 verses, he will be recorded among the devout. And whoever prays the night prayer reciting 1,000 verses, he will be recorded among those with a multitude of good deeds. [Abu Dawood] �

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Some ways to raise happy and innovative kids:

1. Combine structured/informal learning.

� Introduce adequate structure in your kids’ life especially for homework and reading the Qur’an or compulsory acts of Islam.

� Get some other children together. If there is an open space for them, it is much better. However, if live in unsafe areas, set up an informal play scheme.

2. Encourage entrepreneurial spirit � Give small amount of capital to your chil-dren for making and selling things like spe-cial occasion cards and flowers for Eid. But don’t go over the top.

3. Story books are friends

� Adopt story telling as a way of explaining and learning typically ‘boring’ subjects. Sto-rytelling is a powerful method of learning. If you tell kids that World War 2 was started by a guy called Hitler, they’ll fall asleep. But try saying the war was started by a mus-tached guy who used to be bullied at school and lived in a place where kids disappeared (e.g.) and watch facial transformation.

� Visit libraries and book shops despite the age of digital books.

� Teach them to respect books and treat them with care.

4. Find out their learning barriers early

� Find out your children’s learning styles early. How do they learn? Are they audi-tory, visual, kinesthetic or logical learners? You can strengthen their learning.

� Don’t force your own learning style on your children. � Adapted from article by S Shukor

https://www.facebook.com/IslamicFocus

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American use of illegal renditions, secret pris-ons and concentration camps like Guantanamo to illegally detain and torture Muslims kid-napped in the ‘war on terror’ is an old US tac-tic. It is a crime against humanity and was practiced by the US in World War II mainly against Japanese. 120,000 Japanese Americans including infants, the elderly and mentally ill were incarcerated in concentration camps in 1942. 62% were American citizens. Discrimination against Japanese started with laws like the 1905 Cali-fornia law which outlawed marriages between Caucasians and ‘Mongolians’, an umbrella term used to refer to the Japanese and other East Asias. In 1906, the San Francisco Board of Education separated Japanese students from Caucasian students. 1939-1941, the FBI compiled an index on citizens, enemy aliens and foreign nationals, citing national security, like today’s ‘terror lists’. US lawmakers and politicians referred to Japanese openly as dan-gerous. Japanese assets were frozen, curfews declared for persons of Japanese ancestry. State politicians supported the camps. 120,000 people . Even recently US intellectu-als have said that Japanese American intern-ment was ‘a good idea’ which offers ‘lessons for today’ in the war on terror. Amazingly 20,000 Japanese American men and women served in the US Army in World War II. In 1945 the internees were freed and given a measly $25 and a train ticket to their former homes. Japanese lost an estimated $100 mil-lion in assets. The camps were initially called concentration camps and later changed to in-ternment camps like today’s flowery terminol-ogy used to disguise abuses. �

5 Islamic Focus

QUESTIO

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ANSW

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Q: How is this lady’s

inheritance distributed: She passed away without

leaving any descendant.

But left a husband, father,

one brother, and four sis-ters (all from same par-

ents)?

A: Half would go to the hus-band and half to the father.

Q: It is widely accepted that only the Hanafi

school of thought allows

for the payment of zakah

in money. So is it consid-ered swopping Mathabs

without a valid reason if a

person following the Shafi Mathab pays his zakat ul

fitrah with money?

A: In his al-Fatawa al-Fiqhiyyah al-Kubra 2:37 Ibn Hajar was asked regarding a Shafi who follows the Hanafis on an issue related to zakah, like giving commodities as cash and limiting the distri-bution to one or two catego-ries while others are avail-able. Is that permissible or not and from which book? He replied, ‘Yes, it is permissible for him to do that as stated [by our authorities] in the summarized works as well as in the reference works.’

Q: Is there a time limit on

Aqiqah? Can one slaugh-ter a cow for Aqiqah?

If so, can one share the

slaughter between chil-

dren? A: The aqiqah is sunnah. The child is bonded by its aqiqah, slaughter for it on the sev-enth day, shave its head, and give a name.’ (Ahmed) Its time begins at birth, and if done before birth it does not suffice. The preferred time is the seventh day. The day of birth is counted from the seven, and if a baby is born at night then the next day is the first of the seven. According to the Shafis, the aqiqah does not expire; and it should not be delayed until then. If it would be delayed that long, the father’s duty to perform it falls away. The child then has the option to perform it for itself. In Rawdah, Imam Nawawi related from Bushanji that if the aqiqah is not performed on the seventh, then on the fourteenth, and if not, then the twenty-first. In Sharh al-Sunnah, Baghawi related this from Aishah �.

In Kifayat al-Akhyar, it is stated that it is best it not go past the duration of nifas (bleeding after childbirth) and then if it’s not done then, for it to not go past the duration of breastfeeding; and then that if not done then, then to not go past seven years; and then that if not done then, then to not go until puberty. And if it does, then the father’s duty falls away. What suffices for aqiqah is the same as that which suf-fices for udhiyah (qurbani). The least of which is one complete sheep or goat or a seventh from a cow or camel. It is permissible to share a cow, for example, between children or with a group slaughtering for differ-ent reasons such as Aqiqah or for meat (Sharh al-Muhadhdhab). It seems like a boy would re-quire two shares if slaughter-ing a cow. Preferring a cow or camel is also mentioned in Rawdah. �

SHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & ASHAFI Q & A From various Ulama

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HANAFI Q & AHANAFI Q & AHANAFI Q & AHANAFI Q & A From various Ulama

www.askimam.org | www.askmufti.co.za | www.daruliftaa.net

QUESTIO

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ANSW

ERS

Q: I received a message

on my mobile which stated that once our

Prophet � was invited at

someone's home. He went

there but returned with-out having the meal.

Someone asked him the

reason for not eating the food and he replied that

the women in that home

do not cover their head while kneading the dough

and making the loaves of

bread so that food is

makrooh (disliked). Is this narration authentic?

And does uncovering the

head while cooking make the food makrooh?

A: Food does not become Makrooh (disliked) to con-sume due to it being cooked by someone whose hair was uncovered. We have not come across such a narration. Kindly find out the source from the one who sent you the message. Then we will be in a position to comment. Q: Can Bio Ethanol fuel

based fireplaces be used

in our homes? They are flueless fires, meaning

they do not require venti-

lation or a flue (like chim-ney) to remove harmful

gasses. The bi-products

are Carbon-dioxide and

water only. The fuel is generally in liquid form or

gel.

A: It is permissible to use bio ethanol fuel based fireplaces. Q: I am running a fran-chise pizza business in

Canada; and sometime we

use pork food items in

making pizza. I am won-

dering if this business is

Halal or Haram for me even if I don't sell it to

Muslims?

A: In principle sale of any item, which is not considered ‘wealth’ according to Islamic law, is impermissible. Exam-ples of these items include things like wine, pork and haram food etc. Hence, sell-ing of Pizza and other prod-ucts containing pork is not permissible and income from such a sale will be impermis-sible as well. This ruling is regardless of who you sell these products to. We advise you to have nego-tiations with the franchise owner to allow you to revise the menu for your store in order to reflect only halal en-tries. If this is not possible, then we advise you to look for an alternative mode of business for yourself. Q: Can a pregnant woman

go and see a coma patient

and can a pregnant woman visit the grave-

yard?

A: It is permissible for a woman to meet a coma pa-tient on condition that he is her mahram (non-marriageable relative). It is permissible for a woman to visit the graveyard on condition she strictly adheres to the laws of hijab. If a woman fails to adhere to the laws of hijab or if any other laws of Islam are violated e.g. intermingling of the sexes, excessive crying, wail-ing etc., then it is impermis-sible.

Q: I am an MBBS doctor.

If I prescribe a drug to my patient and order him to

do blood examination,

ECG, X-Ray, Ultrasonogra-

phy, etc, then the com-pany and laboratory give

us some commission) and

gift. They tell us that its our right to take the com-

mission and gift as it is

provided to us according to their rules and regula-

tion. Is this permissible?

A: It is permissible for you to receive commission from companies and laboratories for prescribing their drugs and facilities to your pa-tients. However, in doing so, you should have the best in-terests of your patients at heart. Q: Can we eat food items

labeled as 100% vegetar-ian? What if they have

animal fat derivatives?

A: Each country may have different laws with regards to labeling of food items as vegetarian. We would ask you to contact your Ministry of Food Processing Industries and inquire their laws relat-ing to 100% vegetarian la-bels on food items. Regardless of the guidelines, if you perceive some ingredi-ent from animal origin, then abstain from the product un-til clarifying with the com-pany in question. If it indeed is an animal derivative in a vegetarian labeled product, then report it to the appro-priate offices and inform Muslims to abstain from that product as well. � Checked by: Mufti Ebrahim Desai

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� http://www.jamemasjid.co.uk/ - Jame

Masjid, Leicester, UK � http://www.coachamal.com/ - Super

Muslimah Project � http://www.khalilcenter.com/ - Com-

munity mental wellbeing centre in USA � http://www.idcphalal.com/ - Islamic

Dawah Council of the Philippines Halaal � http://www.channelofislam.com/ -

Radio Seerah of Moulana Lajpuri � http://www.islam-guide.com/ - Illus-

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Two beggars knocked on the door asking for bread. One beggar was given a loaf and sent away. The other was kept waiting and waiting. At length, the second beggar became con-cerned: "Why am I being denied? What is so lacking in me that the other one was favoured over me?" he asked himself. Unknown to the beggar, a fresh loaf was being baked for him inside the house. Let's remember that Allah's timing is always perfect. He will give us what He wants at the best time for us. Never lose patience.

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In the past, Muslims captured by enemy forces had governments to fight for their freedom and rights.

Today, that is non existent. It still remains praise-

worthy to work on various levels for the freedom of these political prisoners.

Ibn Qudamah Al-Hanbali said (Al-Mughni 9/228): It is obligatory to pay the ransom money for the Muslim prisoners, if it is possi-ble. The Prophet � said: Feed the hungry, visit the sick and free the prisoner. The Prophet � said: Indeed it is obligatory upon the Muslims to free their captives or to pay their ransoms. Al-Qurtubi (2/26) said: Our scholars have said that ransoming the prisoners with money is wajib (obligatory), even if one dirham does not remain in the Islamic Treasury. Abu Bakr Al-Jassas (Ahkam Al-Quran 1/58) said: The ransoming of Muslim prisoners is one of the obligatory deeds that has been es-tablished upon us. Ibn Hajar Al-Haithami said (Tuhfah Al-Muhtaj 9/237) said: If the enemy captures a single Muslim, it becomes wajib (obligatory) on every one who has the ability, to rush to their rescue. Al-Izz bin Abdus-Salam said (Pg 97 Ahkam Al-Jihad wa Fadailihi): Rescuing Muslim prisoners from the hands of the disbelievers is one of the best means of coming close to Allah. �

From: Cageprisoners.com

A Gatsby is a South African style of deli sand-wich very similar in content and method of preparation as a hoagie in the United States. It is mostly popular in the Western Cape prov-ince. Gatsbies usually consist of long bread rolls cut lengthwise and opened up to form a sort of cradle which is filled with various fillings. While the choice of filling in a Gatsby varies widely depending on customer preference and vendor, one standard item is usually hot chips i.e. vinegary French fries known as slap chips. Different varieties of Gatsbys include masala steak, chicken, polony, Vienna sausage, cala-mari, fish, and chargrilled steak. Gatsbies originated in the Cape Flats area of Cape Town, where people would often buy large rolls and fill them with whatever left-overs they had, and split them four ways. This practice has carried on in modern times, with gatsbies being bought in full, half or quarter sizes. A Muslim, Rashaad Pandy of the fish-and-chips shop Super Fisheries, in the Athlone area of Cape Town, claims to have invented it one night in 1976 when, trying to feed some day laborers he had hired, he found that he had sold out of fish. So he filled a round Portu-guese loaf with what he had: chips, fried bolo-gna and achar. One man exclaimed, ‘This is fantastic! A Gatsby smash!’ (Smash was local slang for a tasty dish.) The film, the Great Gatsby had recently played to crowds at the Athlone Bioscope. �

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BIO

GRAPHY / TW

ITTER

In light of the increasing usage of social me-

dia, we bring you Twitter accounts of interest

to Muslims. Not all content might be Islamic-

compliant:

@DUZakariyya: Darul Uloom Zakariyya @HilaalSa: Maankykers @ShaykhZahir: Shaykh Zahir Mahmood. Teacher at As-Suffa Institute. @darul_iftaa: Darul Iftaa. Headed by Mufti Ebrahim Desai @Daily_Death: DailyDeathReminder @ShortHadiths: Sharing short hadiths by tweets/pictures @muslimasoasis: Muslimas Oasis @hanafifiqh: Hanafi Fiqh Channel

@a_essack: Qari Ayoob Essack, senior teacher at Darul Uloom Zakariyya @R_A_I_Nman: Abie Dawjee. Research & Information Network (RAIN) provides informa-tion, analysis, views frequently ignored by other media @MuslimPages: South Africa's Muslim Busi-ness & Services Directory �

Follow us on @islamicfocus

PE Death Notices: @PEJanaza

Sheikh Yusuf Booley was born in 1930 in Dis-trict Six, Cape Town. He was born to Ahmad and Rabia Booley. At the age of 15 it was de-cided that he follow a career and study to be-come a wood-carver. It was during this time he went to do Quranic studies in Makkah. In 1946 he was introduced to his teacher Sayed Abdurrahmaan Al-Maliki, one of the foremost Hifz teachers in Arabia. He played an important role in Sheikh Booley’s learning. On completion of his studies he became the first Capetonian to lead Taraweeh in the Haram in Makkah. On his return from Makkah in 1951 he started a Madrasah for the next 4 years lead Ta-raweeh in Tongaat, Natal. In 1956 he was ap-pointed as Imam of the Grey Street Mosque in Durban where he started his first Hifz School. In five years in Durban he taught 40 boys and girls Hifz. Returning to Cape Town in 1961 he formed the Jameyyatul Qurraa Quranic Institute. He was a well-known figure locally and interna-tionally for producing Hifz students. He brought many famous Qurraa like Sheikh Abdul Basit and Dr Ahmad Na-inaa’ to South Africa. Sheikh Yusuf Booley lead Taraweeh for 50 years continuously and his Hifz students are spread across South Africa. He passed away in 2010 on a Friday. �

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10 Islamic Focus

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HISTO

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The Islamic conquest of Persia (637–651) started Umar radhiallahu anhu’s reign and led to the end of the Sassanid Empire and the eventual decline of the Zoroastrian religion. Close to 100% of the population was Muslims by the end of 11th century. Islam has been the official religion of Iran since then. Iran be-came a Shia republic after the revolution of 1979. When Islam was introduced to Iranians, the nobility and city-dwellers were the first to con-vert. Islam spread more slowly among the peasantry. By the late 11th century, the ma-jority of Persians had become Muslim. The Safavid dynasty made Shiasm the official state religion in the 16th century by aggres-sively attacking Sunnis and their Ulama. Offi-cial estimates say Sunnis are 10% of the population but other sources place it at 20%. Many important Muslim scholars were Persian or lived in Iran including Hadith collectors like Imam Bukhari, Imam Muslim, etc. The constitution says the official religion of Iran is Shiasm. It recognizes Zoroastrian, Jew-ish, and Christian Iranians as religious minori-ties but does not allow Sunni mosques. Sunnis face wide-spread discrimination in following Islam. They have no Musjid in the capital for Juma Salaah, Sunni scholars are prohibited from gathering together and many Sunni Ulama are detained, tortured or killed. There are around 48,983 Musjids in the country. �

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‘The world is green and beautiful and God has appointed you as His stewards over it. He sees how you acquit yourselves…’ (Muslim) Everything on Earth: animals, rain, plants, oceans, stars, sun, moon, was created for the benefit of humans. With these favours comes the role of guardianship. ‘He it is Who has placed you as viceroys of the earth and has exalted some of you in rank above others, that He may try you by (the test of) that which He has given you.’ (6:165) Two steps to help us fulfill our responsibility to protect the Earth: 1. Buy less, waste less. The Quran de-scribes our materialistic society: ‘The mutual rivalry for piling up (the good things of this world) diverts you (from the more serious things) until you visit the graves’ (102:1-2). We are warned not to take more than our share of the world’s resources: ‘…Do not squander (your wealth) wastefully. Surely the squanderers are the fellows of the Dev-ils.’ (17:26) The words of the Prophet � are a beautiful example of how to live: ‘Be in the world as if you were a stranger or a traveller along a path.’ (Bukhari) 2. Reduce shower time. ‘Excess in the use of water is forbidden, even if you have the re-sources of a whole river.’ (Tirmidhi) A 5-minute shower consumes 100 litres of water. That may not sound like much, but consider that less half a percent of all water on Earth is fresh water for human use. Every person has a share in this water, yet 20% of the world’s population already lacks access to an ade-quate supply of clean drinking water. �

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Waterval Islamic Institute, known as Mia’s Farm, has played an important role in the preservation of Islam in South Africa. The land (over 2000 hectares) was purchased in 1934 and in 1939 hostel facilities for schooling, ma-drasah and Hifz classes were built. It began in 1940 with 120 boarders and 4 teachers. From 1940-1948 the school was run in the hostel itself and later had its own building and sports fields; an alma mater to many whom later became founding members of Darul Ulooms and Hifdh Madaris in our country. Among those who did part of their schooling, hifdh, offered dhor or taught at Mia’s Farm were Mufti Ebrahim Desai, Moulana Madani of Camperdown, Mufti Ebrahim Saalejee of Isip-ingo Darul Uloom, Moulana Haroon Abba-soomar of Isipingo, Moulana Abdool Hamid Ishaaq of Azaadville Darul Uloom, Moulana Yu-suf Karan of MJC, Moulana Shabir Saloojee of Darul Uloom Zakariyyah, Moulana Qaasim Sema of Newcastle Darul Uloom, and Qari Is-mail Desai of Umzinto. Among the achievements of Mia’s Farm is the printing of the 13-line Quraan, used exten-sively in South Africa, printing maktab syllabi, a home for initial Jamiat activities, Hafiz Abdur Rahman Mia played a great part in alleviating the Hifz shortage in SA. Mia’s Farm even housed Italian prisoners of World War II. In 1984 the secondary school moved to Marl-boro Gardens. The Hifz infrastructure evolved to support a wide network of maktabs in many southern African countries. �

Once upon a time, there was a king who ruled a prosperous country. One day, he went for a trip to some distant areas of his country. When he returned to his palace, he com-plained that his feet were very painful, be-cause it was the first time that he went for such a long trip, and the road that he went through was very rough and stony, and every-one walked around barefeet; there were no such thing as shoes in that country. He then ordered his people to cover every road of the entire country with leather. Defi-nitely this would need thousands of cows' skin, and would cost a huge amount of money. Then one of his wise servant dared himself to tell the king, "Why do you have to spend that unnecessary amount of money? Why don't you just cut a little piece of leather to cover your feet ?" The king was surprised, but he later agreed to his suggestion, to make a "shoe" for himself. Moral: To make this world a happier place for you to live in requires you to change yourself: your heart, your mindset and your attitude; not the entire world. Change always begins with you, not your spouse, your parent, your in-laws, your neighbour. Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself. Change will not come if we wait for some other person. We are the change that we seek. “Truly, Allah does not change the condi-tion of a people until they change what is in themselves.” (Quran 13:11) �